Wake Forest Power

For the first time in two years and only the fourth time since 2008, Wake Forest Power (WFP) is raising electric rates. During Tuesday’s monthly meeting, the Board of Commissioners (BOC) voted unanimously to raise residential rates 9.5 percent in both April and September, and small and large commercial service rates 8 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively, in April.

The impact of soaring equipment and materials costs, compounded by severe supply chain issues and a string of mild winters, led commissioners to concede that the rate hike, though unpleasant, was necessary.

Three years ago, primary cable cost $7.24/foot compared to the current cost of $19.42/foot. Over the same period, 167 KVA transformers which were $3,764 with a 12-week wait for delivery now cost more than six times as much at $25,567 with more than 10 times the wait for delivery at 140 weeks.

Armed with this information during their January retreat, commissioners also learned that without a rate hike, WFP could face a deficit of as much as $12 million within three to four years.

“We haven’t raised our rates in a long time,” said Commissioner Chad Sary during Tuesday’s meeting. “This (rate increase) is to get us whole. This money will be used to support the people (WFP customers) who are receiving the service. I don’t know that we have any other choice.”

“We have to balance the check book,” said Commissioner Jim Dyer.

A division of the Town of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Power operates as an enterprise system. As a result, no taxpayer dollars are used to subsidize the not-for-profit utility. Instead, electric rates are set to cover operating expenses and costs associated with providing reliable electric service.

On the residential side, the rate adjustments mean that a customer using an average of 935 kWh per month who is now paying $126.87 a month ($1,522.42/year) will pay approximately $10 more per month in April ($136.55/month and $1,638.55/year) and another $10 more per month in September ($147.14/month and $1,765.71/year).

These increases come just over two years after commissioners delayed a suggested rate hike due to the impact of COVID-19. In December 2020, Booth and Associates presented to the BOC the results of a Cost of Service & Rate Study which recommended a 4 percent rate increase. The BOC agreed to discuss the rate adjustment in April 2021, at which time it agreed to delay implementing the increase until September 2021.

Booth and Associates updated the Cost of Service & Rate Study in February 2023 to account for increases in providing electric service. For more information, contact Chief Financial Officer Aileen Staples at 919-435-9461 or astaples@wakeforestnc.gov.

Wake Forest Power (WFP) is inviting its customers to share their thoughts and opinions on WFP programs and services by completing a brief survey. Available at https://bit.ly/WakeForestSurvey, the questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

Conducted by the Maru Group, a professional research firm, the survey is designed to determine customer satisfaction regarding their electric utility service. All responses are anonymous, and customer feedback will be used to help WFP identify opportunities to improve its programs and services.

For more information, email Customer Service & Outreach Manager Andrew Brown, Jr. at abrown@wakeforestnc.gov.

A division of the Town of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Power is a public power utility that strives to provide uninterrupted electric service to nearly 7,000 residential and commercial customers.

WFP crews operate and maintain more than 40 miles of overhead primary lines and 110 miles of underground primary lines. They regularly refurbish or rebuild electric lines that show signs of wear and upgrade facilities where electric load has grown. Thanks to these efforts, WFP customers enjoy dependable electric service 99.9% of the time.

***UPDATE - Power has been restored. The cause was an unfortunate squirrel.

Approximately 60 Wake Forest Power customers in the Deacons Ridge Subdivision are without power. Affected streets include South Allen Road, Rockville Road, Deacon Ridge Street, Middle Bridge Court, Ledgerock Road, and Ledyard Court.

The cause of the outage is not known, but crews are responding. Power is expected to be restored by 3 p.m.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Wake Forest Power makes it easy for customers to report electric outages and stay informed about power interruptions in their area through its Outage Management System (OMS). The highlight of the initiative is an automated outage reporting telephone number: 919-761-7899.

Customers need only to call 919-761-7899 and follow the prompts to quickly notify Wake Forest Power that their electricity is out.

When a customer calls the outage reporting number, the OMS attempts to identify the telephone number from which the customer is calling and match that number to their account. As long as Wake Forest Power has the number in its system, the OMS will recognize the customer. If Wake Forest Power does not have the number, or if the number on file is wrong, information pertaining to the customer's account will not be found.

Wake Forest Power is asking customers to make sure they have provided accurate contact information. More specifically, customers are asked to register up to two phone numbers associated with their account. For more information, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake.../report-power-outage.

Wake Forest Power (WFP) has received national recognition for achieving exceptional electric reliability in 2021. The recognition comes from the American Public Power Association (APPA), a trade group that represents more than 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned electric utilities.

APPA helps members track outage and restoration data through its subscription-based eReliability Tracker service, then compares the data to national statistics tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration for all types of electric utilities.

WFP conducts annual reviews of its system to identify areas that may need improvement and performs ongoing maintenance to prevent service interruptions. According to the numbers for 2021, WFP’s average outage time was only 26 minutes, compared to the industry average of 127 minutes.

This means that measured over approximately 7,000 electric meters, a customer’s total outage time was about 100 minutes shorter than the national average.

“We are proud to receive this recognition,” said Electric Utility Director Chris Terrell. “It is a testament to the hard work of all our employees to ensure that the lights stay on for all our customers.”

According to Terrell, WFP’s success can be traced to several factors, including its year-round tree-trimming efforts, the widespread installation of underground power lines, and the collaboration of engineers, linemen, and supervisors in the development of best practices that help reduce outage incidents, but when they occur ensure faster restorations.

A division of the Town of Wake Forest, Wake Forest Power works year-round to provide uninterrupted electric service to nearly 7,000 residential and commercial customers.

Through its Reliability Improvement Program, Wake Forest Power operates and maintains two electric substations and more than 95 miles of overhead electric distribution lines. Due to these efforts, Wake Forest Power customers enjoy dependable electric service 99.9% of the time.

For more information about Wake Forest Power, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

The Town of Wake Forest and Wake Forest Power (WFP) are joining more than 2,000 not-for-profit utilities in celebrating Public Power Week October 2-8. Wake Forest and WFP are marking the occasion by offering a special online trivia contest and utilizing the Wake Forest Power Facebook page to celebrate the benefits of public power and salute the folks who keep our lights on. In anticipation of Public Power Week, WFP customers are encouraged to “Like” Wake Forest Power on Facebook.

Wake Forest Power residential customers can enter to win free electricity in October by participating in the Public Power Week Trivia Contest available at http://bit.ly/WFPublicPowerWeek. All the answers to the trivia questions can be found on the Town website. Every customer that answers all 10 questions correctly will be entered into a drawing for free electricity. On Friday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m., the names of three winners will be announced via Wake Forest Power’s social media sites. The deadline to enter is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.  

Throughout Public Power Week, WFP will post on Facebook a variety of information on themes ranging from Wake Forest’s public power history to the responsibilities of the divisions and staff that comprise the Town’s electric department. Kids will also have the chance to download a variety of coloring pages related to public power.

For more information about Public Power Week activities, visit http://bit.ly/WFPublicPowerWeek or contact Customer Service Manager Andrew Brown, Jr. at 919-435-9466 or abrown@wakeforestnc.gov.

Wake Forest Power supplies electricity to approximately 5,000 residential and 1,300 commercial customers. A public power community since 1909, Wake Forest is one of 32 members of the North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA). For more information about Wake Forest Power, visit www.wakeforestnc.gov/wake-forest-power.

The Town of Wake Forest will temporarily close the northbound lane of North Main Street from East Juniper Avenue to East Cedar Avenue today (Tuesday, Aug. 16), from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The temporary lane closure is necessary to allow Wake Forest Power tree crews to prune tree limbs and branches around overhead power lines.

A signed detour will be in place directing traffic around the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and use an alternate route.

Wake Forest Power works year-round to minimize storm impacts through preventive maintenance, including the trimming of trees around Wake Forest’s 140 miles of overhead electric distribution lines. Downed trees and limbs are the leading cause of power outages during storms but more importantly endanger the lives of utility workers and the public. For more information, email Tree Trimming Supervisor Jimmie Kearney at jkearney@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Town of Wake Forest offers an interactive map that gives residents a user-friendly and convenient way to view local road closures and restrictions. Available at https://bit.ly/WFTrafficMap, the Traffic Alerts Map allows visitors to point and click on current road and lane closures throughout Wake Forest. Motorists are encouraged to use the information to help plan their route and move safely through work areas.

UPDATE - This work has been rescheduled for Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 10-11.

The Town of Wake Forest will temporarily close the northbound lane of North Main Street from East Juniper Avenue to East Cedar Avenue today (Tuesday, Aug. 9) through Thursday, Aug. 11, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. The temporary lane closure is necessary to allow Wake Forest Power tree crews to prune tree limbs and branches around overhead power lines.

A signed detour will be in place directing traffic around the work area. Delays are expected, so motorists are encouraged to avoid the area and use an alternate route.

Wake Forest Power works year-round to minimize storm impacts through preventive maintenance, including the trimming of trees around Wake Forest’s 140 miles of overhead electric distribution lines. Downed trees and limbs are the leading cause of power outages during storms but more importantly endanger the lives of utility workers and the public. For more information, email Tree Trimming Supervisor Jimmie Kearney at jkearney@wakeforestnc.gov.

The Town of Wake Forest offers an interactive map that gives residents a user-friendly and convenient way to view local road closures and restrictions. Available at https://bit.ly/WFTrafficMap, the Traffic Alerts Map allows visitors to point and click on current road and lane closures throughout Wake Forest. Motorists are encouraged to use the information to help plan their route and move safely through work areas.